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<\/p>\nSINGAPORE \u2013 Married Singaporean couple Othniel Indran and Janet Poh had one main criterion for their first home: It had to have dedicated spaces for each of them.<\/p>\n
Ms Poh, a 32-year-old marketing and office manager, sought a study in which to work. Meanwhile, Mr Othniel, a 37-year-old security and operations manager, craved a zone in which to work out.<\/p>\n
Anyone who walks into their 1,302 sq ft HDB flat today will see each of their wishes fulfilled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Ms Poh\u2019s study is tucked away next to the master bedroom, Mr Othniel\u2019s home gym is right by the dining room. It is unmissable when you step through the front door into the living room, thanks to its sleek glass walls and moody, dark grey aesthetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Its main feature is a multi-functional Smith machine. This is essentially a barbell attached to a rack, which can move up and down along the vertical plane. It allows users to lift heavy weights without a spotter. The Smith has other functions, including a pull-up bar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t much space in the room to work out in, and I needed a machine that serves as a one-stop shop for me to fully enjoy the workout,\u201d says Mr Othniel, who paid $3,000 for it.<\/p>\n
The gym also houses adjustable dumbbells, which were gifted by a friend and go up to 40kg each, as well as resistance bands and yoga mats. There is also a walking pad, which is used by Ms Poh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, I just need my own space and time to work out by myself. And because this is in my home, I am able to blast my music and work out at my own pace without anyone rushing me, or having to share my equipment with others,\u201d says Mr Othniel.<\/p>\n
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Mr Othniel Indran in his home gym.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG<\/p>\n
Ms Poh admits: \u201cWhen Othniel came up with this gym idea, I really wasn\u2019t on board with it. It didn\u2019t quite fit the aesthetic I was going for.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rest of the home, which she oversaw the design of, follows a warmer and cosier design style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s only fair he gets his own space in our home. Anyway, I can now easily get my daily step count in, thanks to the walking pad,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Strength training is more popular than ever in Singapore, while pilates and fitness race Hyrox are among the latest crazes, following in the footsteps of spinning (indoor cycling).<\/p>\n
The SingaporeFitness community on message board website Reddit, which has almost 12,000 members, gets some 60,000 visitors weekly. ActiveSG has a website where people can check crowd levels at the national sports club\u2019s gyms before going down.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, interest in home gym equipment has also increased, says Mr Poh Shen, co-founder of fitness equipment retailer The Great Company.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have observed a broader shift towards wanting fitness to be more accessible, convenient and part of everyday living,\u201d he tells The Straits Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople view training as part of daily life, rather than something tied only to a commercial gym membership. In Singapore especially, people are also much more conscious of space, noise and aesthetics, so there is stronger demand for equipment that is compact, versatile and easier to integrate into the home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The retailer\u2019s offerings encompass a wide range of equipment which can be summed up as space-efficient and technologically driven, says Mr Poh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These include adjustable dumbbells, multi-functional trainers, cable machines, walking pads, barbell racks, weight plates and even plyometric boxes that cost $199 to $4,998.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s bestsellers are adjustable dumbbells (from $780) from Swedish brand Nuobell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The Nuobell adjustable dumbbells are the Great Company\u2019s best-selling product.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO<\/p>\n
\u201cA single pair easily replaces a whole rack of dumbbells at the gym, because it can adjust from 2kg to 40kg with just a twist of the handle,\u201d says Mr Poh.<\/p>\n
It was the company\u2019s first product when it was founded in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGyms in Singapore were shut down during the circuit breaker, and people were confined to their homes, including us. We wanted to find something functional, space-saving and aesthetically pleasing for our own homes at that point,\u201d says Mr Poh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Six years on, the demand for such equipment has only increased, and customers have become even more discerning and deliberate about the workout equipment they are investing in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are thinking more about what fits their space, what they will realistically use long-term and how to build a set-up that feels sustainable rather than temporary,\u201d says Mr Poh.<\/p>\n
Younger adults in their 20s and 30s form a key demographic, especially those who already have an active lifestyle and want more flexibility in how they train.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Overlapping this demographic are first-time home owners and young families planning gym corners in their new cribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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